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Course Descriptions

Please note: The course descriptions displayed here are current as of Tuesday, March 3, 2015, but the official Course Catalog should be used for all official planning.

SPAN 101 Beginning Spanish

An introduction to the Spanish five language skills (understanding, speaking, reading, writing and culture) through task-based classroom instruction and individual lab practice. This course may not be taken on a Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory basis.
Units: 6.

SPAN 102 Beginning Spanish

A continuation of Spanish 101 with intensive practice in the Spanish five language skills (understanding, speaking, reading, writing and culture) through task-based classroom instruction and individual lab practice. This course may not be taken on a Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory basis.
Units: 6.
Prerequisite: SPAN 101, its equivalent, or consent of instructor

SPAN 191 Directed Study in Spanish

An individual or small-group study directed towards the acquisition of knowledge or specific skills, not research or creative work. Directed studies are not a substitute for existing courses but opportunities to pursue pertinent introductory topics that clearly fall under the field of expertise of a faculty member in the department.
Units: 1 TO 98.
Prerequisite: Counter Registration Required.

SPAN 195 Internship In Spanish

An opportunity for students to apply their Spanish language and culture skills in business, government and the non-profit sector. National or international internships are coordinated between the Office of Career Services and the Spanish faculty who acts as supervisor. In order to earn academic credit, internships must meet the required guidelines and receive prior approval from the Spanish chairperson. Credit requirements may include readings, discussions, and a report and/or portfolio. The faculty supervisor determines the submission calendar for internship-related assignments.
Units: 1 TO 98.
Prerequisite: Counter Registration Required.

SPAN 200 Intensive Spanish 1, 2, and 3

A concentrated six-week Spanish class encompassing from the beginning to the intermediate level. The course provides intensive practice of the five language skills (understanding, speaking, reading, writing and culture) through task-based classroom instruction and guided lab practice. Selected readings, written assignments and discussions serve to further develop linguistic and analytical skills. Completion of this course is the equivalent of SPAN 101, 102, and 201. Offered in the summer term only. This course may not be taken on a Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory basis.
Units: 18.
Prerequisite: A non-refundable deposit is required for registration.

SPAN 201 Intermediate Spanish

A continuation of Spanish 102. This intermediate course provides intensive practice in the Spanish five language skills (understanding, speaking, reading, writing and culture) through task-based classroom instruction and individual lab practice. Selected readings, written assignments and discussions serve to further develop linguistic and analytic skills in Spanish at the intermediate level. This course may not be taken on a Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory basis.
Units: 6.
Prerequisite: SPAN 102, its equivalent, or consent of instructor

SPAN 202 Intermediate Spanish

A bridge between intermediate and advanced Spanish courses. The class provides comprehensive practice of all language skills with emphasis on achieving control of most structures, considerable breadth of vocabulary, and appropriate communicative competence. Selected readings, written assignments and discussions serve to further develop the linguistic and analytic skills needed for advanced study in Spanish.
Units: 6.
Prerequisite: SPAN 201, its equivalent, or consent of instructor

SPAN 320 Introduction to Literary Texts

An introduction to the critical analysis of texts that represent various periods, genres and authors in Latin American and Spanish literature. Readings of texts and theory, class discussions and composition tasks prepare students for other advanced courses in the Spanish program.
Units: 6.
Prerequisite: SPAN 202, its equivalent, or consent of instructor. Not open to native speakers of Spanish

SPAN 330 Introduction to Film

An introduction to the critical analysis of Latin American and Spanish film. Selected films represent various countries, genres and directors from Latin America and Spain. Readings of relevant film theory, class discussions and composition tasks prepare students for other advances courses in the Spanish program.
Units: 6.
Prerequisite: SPAN 202, its equivalent, or consent of instructor; not open to native speakers of Spanish.
Also listed as Theatre Arts 352, Film Studies 330

SPAN 340 Spanish Phonetics

Spanish Phonetics will immerse students in the pronunciation and general phonetics of the Spanish language as it is spoken in Spain and Latin America. The course will help students to perfect their accent in Spanish and make them aware of the different accents of spoken Spanish. It also will serve Conservatory of Music students who desire to practice their diction in Spanish. Taught in Spanish. Course does not count towards the humanities general education requirement for B.A. and B.A./B.Mus. students. Not open to native speakers of Spanish.
Units: 6.
Prerequisite: SPAN 202, its equivalent, or consent of instructor; not open to native speakers of Spanish
Also listed as Linguistics 375

SPAN 345 Advanced Grammar Studies

In-depth study of grammar, syntax, and composition that builds on concepts learned in the intermediate courses. Problem areas, particularly at the advanced level of the language, are studied systematically. Course does not count towards the humanities general education requirement for B.A. and B.A./B.Mus. students.
Units: 6.
Prerequisite: SPAN 202, its equivalent, or consent of the instructor
Also listed as Linguistics 374

SPAN 390 Tutorial Studies in Spanish

Topic of study will be determined by the student’s interest and the availability of a faculty member who has the necessary expertise. Tutorials are not substitutes for courses but opportunities to pursue topics suggested by courses.
Units: 1 TO 98.
Prerequisite: Counter Registration Required.

SPAN 391 Directed Study in Spanish

An individual or small-group study directed towards the acquisition of knowledge or specific skills, not research or creative work. Directed studies are not a substitute for existing courses but opportunities to pursue pertinent topics that clearly fall under the field of expertise of a faculty member in the department.
Units: 1 TO 98.
Prerequisite: Counter Registration Required.

SPAN 395 Internship In Spanish

An opportunity for students to apply their Spanish language and culture skills in business, government and the non-profit sector. National or international internships are coordinated between the Office of Career Services and the Spanish faculty who acts as supervisor. In order to earn academic credit, internships must meet the required guidelines and receive prior approval from the Spanish chairperson. Credit requirements may include readings, discussions, and a report and/or portfolio. The faculty supervisor determines the submission calendar for internship-related assignments.
Units: 1 TO 98.
Prerequisite: Counter Registration Required.

SPAN 399 Independent Study in Spanish

An independent and thorough investigation of a topic of the student's choice, carried out in consultation with an instructor. The Spanish department chair must approve all independent studies in Spanish in advance.
Units: 1 TO 98.
Prerequisite: Counter Registration Required.

SPAN 400 Latin American Civilization and Culture

A broad introduction to the culture of the Latin American continent and its relations to North American culture. The course presents Latin American civilization, history, economic and political situation, and diverse culture. Emphasis is placed on high cultural manifestations such as art and literature, as well as on the everyday habits of the people. Recommended for students who plan to participate in one of our study-abroad programs in Latin America.
Units: 6.
Prerequisite: One 300-level Spanish course, its equivalent, or consent of instructor
Also listed as Ethnic Studies 480

SPAN 410 Gender, Politics, and Current Events in Latin America

A critical analysis of current events in Latin America with a focus on gender and political issues. Through films, magazine articles, fiction, and selected radio and television broadcasts from Latin America, students will study major events that relate and give expression to the cultural mores of Latin Americans within the realm of gender and politics. The course allows students to continue to develop their oral communication skills in the target language and, with a wide range of topics and interests, to work toward an understanding of gender issues and political events that have shaped and transformed Latin America.
Units: 6.
Prerequisite: One 300-level Spanish course, its equivalent, or consent of instructor
Also listed as Gender Studies 410

SPAN 415 Gender, Politics, and Current Events in Spain

A critical analysis and discussion of recent and current events in Spain with a focus on issues of gender and sexuality, immigration, and nationalism. Students study and present on topics that affect Spanish society today by reading, watching and listening to a variety of media sources, articles and theoretical readings.
Units: 6.
Prerequisite: One 300-level Spanish course, its equivalent, or consent of instructor
Also listed as Gender Studies 412

SPAN 420 Comedia: Theory and Performance

An introduction to the major playwrights of early modern Spain and Latin America. Readings include plays, interludes, contemporary dramatic theory, and historical accounts of performance practices. Discussion topics include the ethics of theatrical performance, the construction of gender on stage, and the place of the comedia in the emergent empire.
Units: 6.
Prerequisite: One 300-level course in Spanish, its equivalent, or consent of instructor

SPAN 425 Latin American Visual Art

The course introduces the cultures of Latin America through a survey of its major movements and artists from the early 19th century to the present. Image-based lectures will be accompanied by discussion of visual and thematically related texts (i.e., biographies, letters, scholarly articles) and carefully selected fragments of videos.
Units: 6.
Prerequisite: One 300-level course in Spanish or consent of instructor
Also listed as Art History 275

SPAN 426 Latin American Visual Art (in English)

The course introduces the cultures of Latin America through a survey of its major movements and artists from the early 19th century to the present. Image-based lectures will be accompanied by discussion of visual and thematically related texts (i.e., biographies, letters, scholarly articles) and carefully selected fragments of videos. Taught in English.
Units: 6.
Also listed as Art History 270

SPAN 512 The (En)Gendering of Modern Spain: Gender and National Narratives from Romanticsm to the Avant-garde

A thematic analysis of Spanish literature and selected visual art from the Romantic period to the 1936 civil war. The course focuses on the connection between various artistic representations of gender and their (re)production or defiance of national narratives. Readings include works by renowned authors like Emilia Pardo Bazan and Federico Garcia Lorca, as well as avant-garde films and paintings by Luis Buñuel, Salvador Dali and Pablo Picasso.
Units: 6.
Prerequisite: One course in Spanish at the 400-level

SPAN 513 Translation in Context: the Theory, History, and Practice of Spanish Translation

This course surveys the theory, history and practice of Spanish translation. In it, students acquire the knowledge and basic skills required for translation between Spanish and English while becoming acquainted with the history of translation. Course readings introduce relevant philosophical and political debates.
Units: 6.
Prerequisite: One 500-level or two 400-level courses or consent of instructor

SPAN 520 Survey of Latin American Literature I

A study of texts from Pre-Columbian and Spanish-speaking cultures from the 15th to 19th centuries, the period of “discovery writing” of Spanish colonies in Latin America, focusing on development and elaboration of genres and on the search for cultural and political emancipation from Spain.
Units: 6.
Prerequisite: One 400-level Spanish course, its equivalent, or consent of instructor

SPAN 521 Survey of Latin American Literature II

A study of major Latin American writers and literary movements from the period of Independence (ca. 1810) to the 20th century.
Units: 6.
Prerequisite: One 400-level Spanish course, its equivalent, or consent of instructor

SPAN 535 Topics in Literature and Culture

Topics for special study in Spanish of Peninsular and Latin American literatures and cultures. Topics in this series vary from year to year, according to students’ and instructor’s needs and interests. The course may be repeated with consent of the instructor, if the topic has changed. Taught in Spanish.

Topic for Spring 2015: Buenos Aires
Urban cultures express the transformations of a globalized world. Taking the Buenos Aires case as its focus, the course analyzes the cultural production from, of, and about the city, from multiple perspectives, in order to achieve an understanding of the issues facing Latin American urban spaces in the 21st century.
Units: 6.
Prerequisite: One 400-level Spanish course, its equivalent, or consent of instructor

SPAN 550 Cervantes: Don Quijote

Close reading and discussion of Don Quijote, Parts I and II. Attention is given to the social and political context of the work.
Units: 6.
Prerequisite: One 400-level Spanish course, its equivalent, or consent of instructor

SPAN 566 Hispanic Issues

This course covers the main cultural issues in the contemporary Hispanic world. It concentrates on both the Hispanics of Latin America and those of the United States. Through theoretical materials as well as literature, film, historical documents, testimony, etc., this course addresses a variety of subjects related to the Hispanic culture. Taught in Spanish.
Units: 6.
Prerequisite: One 400-level Spanish course, its equivalent, or consent of instructor
Also listed as Ethnic Studies 583

SPAN 570 Narrative: Text and Theory

An advanced study of narratives related to the conquest and colonization of America in Spanish (primarily literature), alongside a survey of theoretical approaches to narrative. Emphasis on the application of key concepts in literary and postcolonial theory to selected texts.
Units: 6.
Prerequisite: One literary survey course (e.g., SPAN 510, SPAN 511, SPAN 520, SPAN 521) or equivalent, or consent of instructor

SPAN 577 Space as Text

A critical analysis of the role of space and borders in contemporary literature. We will examine the critical theory on the topic and apply those insights to texts mainly from or about Latin American and the Atlantic regions. We will include spatial representations from the visual arts and films.
Units: 6.
Prerequisite: One 400-level course in Spanish or consent of instructor

A thematic analysis of film and fiction produced in the late and post-dictatorial context of Spain and several Latin American countries. The course studies the cultural processes of historical memory, collective trauma, oblivion, and questioning of national narratives in selected works from the past four decades. Readings include Manuel Puig's Kiss of the Spider Woman, Ariel Dorfman's Death and the Maiden, and Carmen Martin Gaite's The Back Room, as well as films by Lucrecia Martel, Victor Erice, Pablo Larrain, and Guillermo del Toro, among others.
Units: 6.
Prerequisite: One 400-level course in Spanish or consent of instructor
Also listed as Film Studies 580

SPAN 585 Latin American Urban Cultures - Buenos Aires

Urban cultures express the transformations of a globalized world. Taking the Buenos Aires case as its focus, the course analyzes the cultural production from, of, and about the city, from multiple perspectives, in order to achieve an understanding of the issues facing Latin American urban spaces in the 21st century.
Units: 6.
Prerequisite: One 400-level Spanish course, its equivalent, or consent of instructor

SPAN 590 Tutorial Studies in Spanish

Topic of study will be determined by the student’s interest and the availability of a faculty member who has the necessary expertise. Tutorials are not substitutes for courses but opportunities to pursue topics suggested by courses.
Units: 1 TO 98.
Prerequisite: Counter Registration Required.

SPAN 591 Directed Study in Spanish

An individual or small-group study directed towards the acquisition of knowledge or specific skills, not research or creative work. Directed studies are not a substitute for existing courses but opportunities to pursue pertinent advanced topics that clearly fall under the field of expertise of a faculty member in the department.
Units: 1 TO 98.
Prerequisite: Counter Registration Required.

SPAN 595 Internship In Spanish

An opportunity for students to apply their Spanish language and culture skills in business, government and the non-profit sector. National or international internships are coordinated between the Office of Career Services and the Spanish faculty who acts as supervisor. In order to earn academic credit, internships must meet the required guidelines and receive prior approval from the Spanish chairperson. Credit requirements may include readings, discussions, and a report and/or portfolio. The faculty supervisor determines the submission calendar for internship-related assignments.
Units: 1 TO 98.
Prerequisite: Counter Registration Required.

SPAN 599 Independent Study in Spanish

An independent and thorough investigation of a topic of the student's choice, carried out in consultation with a faculty member. The Spanish department chair must approve all independent studies in Spanish in advance.
Units: 1 TO 98.
Prerequisite: Counter Registration Required.

SPAN 690 Tutorial Studies in Spanish

Topic of study will be determined by the student’s interest and the availability of a faculty member who has the necessary expertise. Tutorials are not substitutes for courses but opportunities to pursue topics suggested by courses.
Units: 1 TO 98.
Prerequisite: Counter Registration Required.

SPAN 691 Directed Study in Spanish

An individual or small-group study directed towards the acquisition of knowledge or specific skills, not research or creative work. Directed studies are not a substitute for existing courses but opportunities to pursue pertinent and highly advanced topics that clearly fall under the field of expertise of a faculty member in the department.
Units: 1 TO 98.
Prerequisite: Counter Registration Required.

SPAN 695 Internship In Spanish

An opportunity for students to apply their Spanish language and culture skills in business, government and the non-profit sector. National or international internships are coordinated between the Office of Career Services and the Spanish faculty who acts as supervisor. In order to earn academic credit, internships must meet the required guidelines and receive prior approval from the Spanish chairperson. Credit requirements may include readings, discussions, and a report and/or portfolio. The faculty supervisor determines the submission calendar for internship-related assignments.
Units: 1 TO 98.
Prerequisite: Counter Registration Required.

SPAN 699 Independent Study in Spanish

An independent and thorough investigation of a topic of the student's choice, carried out in consultation with a faculty member. The Spanish department chair must approve all independent studies in Spanish in advance.
Units: 1 TO 98.
Prerequisite: Counter Registration Required.